"Andie."
...
"Andie."
...
"ANDIE!"
"Whoa, what? I'm awake," Andie blurted as her head jerked up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She winced as the kinks in her neck cracked. "Never again am I sleeping at my desk."
"Yeah, that's what you said last time," the voice scoffed. Andie frowned as she took in sight of her best friend standing in the middle of the empty police station.
"What are you doing here? Where's everyone else?"
"It's just on change of shift. Since you didn't come home last night and you wouldn't answer your phone, I got worried. Thought some big bad murderer chopped you up into tiny pieces and fed you to his garden gnomes."
Andie stared. "… You need to be admitted to a mental hospital."
"What? I've watched CSI, it could happen."
"Ugh. It's too early for this; I need coffee. Why the hell didn't Randle or Higgs wake me up before they left? Bloody irritating, prank-playing cops."
More than used to her roommates annoyed muttering; Riley beamed and held out a warm styrofoam cup. "Super Riley to the rescue."
"You know me so well." Andie smirked, taking the coffee from her. She took a gulp and sighed as the warm substance flowed down her throat and soothed her grumpiness. "Thanks."
"No problem," Riley muttered, staring at the mess on Andie's desk. "I take it you have a new case."
"How'd you know?" Andie replied sarcastically. "I must have fallen asleep around the fiftieth unsolved case."
"The fiftieth case? Who on earth are you investigating?" Riley picked up a random piece of paper and scanned the contents, not even caring that what she was looking at was private and confidential. Andie hadn't had enough coffee to really notice – a flaw she was trying to work on. "The Halliwell's," she murmured, reading a bit more about them before shrugging. "Well, you can do some more research later. Right now, you need a shower."
Andie couldn't help but laugh at her friend's sudden change of interest. "You really know how to make a girl feel beautiful." She did silently agree as she ran her tongue over her fur-coated teeth. She seriously needed a good wash. She felt gritty and horrible.
The dark-skinned girl began tidying her desk, putting the sheets of paper back into their folders and switching of her computer. With a yawn, she stood up. "Okay, let's go."
/
Andie entered the kitchen of her apartment, a towel wrapped around her head. She grabbed an apple from the nearby fruit basket and took a seat at the island where Riley was leafing through Andie's research.
"Hey, are you sure you want to do this case? Riley questioned, pulling of her reading glasses and pushing them to the side. Andie frowned, both at the question and at her friend reading the file
"You shouldn't be looking at that, you know. And of course I am. Why?"
"I've looked at your cases and helped you out before. And, well, I mean… these guys seem really dangerous. Look at this," Riley slid the page she was reading over towards the detective. "Inspector Sheridan, Rodriguez, Trudeau and Davidson. All inspectors who died working on the Halliwell case."
Andie sighed and met her best friends' concerned gaze. She knew Riley was worried. She's never really liked Andie's job, and she now actively hated it, ever since Andie had been shot two years ago while working on a case.
She only remembered bits and pieces from that day. Her hand unconsciously rubbing her stomach, she remembered entering an abandoned warehouse, gun raised. She remembered signaling for her partner to go the other way. She remembered turning around and feeling a sharp, searing pain in her abdomen. She remembered falling to the ground and the paralyzing fear that she would never see her family and friend's again. She also remembered the slight relief and excitement that bubbled in her stomach when she thought of how she was finally going to see him again.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in a hospital bed after being in a coma for two weeks.
Andie sent her friend a warm smile, knowing that she was also re-living that fateful day, and grabbed her hand over the island, giving it a firm squeeze. "I'll be extra careful this time. Nothing's going to happen to me, I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Riley said as she pulled away and stared down at her hands. Andie was surprised to see that, when she looked up, her eyes were a little wet. "I just… I can't lose you. You're my best friend, you always have been. We've been through so much together."
Riley took a deep breath, as if she was gathering courage to say what she had to say next. "Think about your mom. She would be destroyed if she lost you."
Andie's head snapped back in shock, her eyes wide. Guilt twisted Riley's features as she watched her best friend inhale a shaky breath and stand from the stool.
"I'll think about it," the young detective said quietly, barely above a whisper. She hastily gathered up her research and avoided Riley's eyes as she left the kitchen and hurried into her room, closing the door behind her. She placed the files down on her desk and gripped the back of a nearby chair, squeezing her eyes shut. After a moment she shook her head, forcibly pushing away the memories that were swimming through her mind.
Rubbing her eyes, she willed the tears to disappear. She was not going to cry. Not again. She had used up all her tears the day of he had been lowered into the ground. She hated being weak.
Andie sunk down onto her bed and curled up into her comforter. She had some serious thinking to do.
/
A knock on the door later on that day woke her from her slumber. She opened her eyes to see Riley open it and quietly approach the bed, her expression tentative. Andie silently watched her as her friend sat down.
"I'm sorry for playing that card."
Andie sighed. "It's okay," she whispered, reaching for her hand. "I know you're just worried."
"Doesn't mean I had to bring that up," Riley said softly. "I just… be careful, okay?"
Andie sat up and frowned at her. "I said I'd think about it."
"But we both know you're not going to give up the case," Riley pointed out, chuckling slightly at the guilt on her roommates face. "You're just… too good at your job to back away from this now. You're invested already."
"I'm sorry," Andie murmured. "I would if I could…"
"But you can't," Riley finished. "That's okay. Well, it's not really, but there's nothing I can do about it." A sly grin crossed her face. "Except maybe go with you."
"What?" Andie yelped. "No! So not going to happen!"
"Why not?" Riley countered. "The file said that the eldest, Wyatt I think it was, owns the nightclub, P3. What better way to approach them then to go under the cover of a night out. And unless you're a loner, no one goes clubbing alone." She smiled winningly. "I'll go with you, watch your back and have a blast at the same time. It's a win-win situation!"
"A win-win situation? It's a dangerous situation! You could get hurt! I'm not allowing it!"
"Well then, you might just somehow find me there anyway," Riley smirked. "I need a night out and according to the grapevine, P3 is the number one place to be."
Andie groaned and tugged at her hair in frustration. "God damn it, Riley!"
"God's not going to help." She chuckled at her friends' short scream. "It's not going to happen if you won't let me come with you. Only the one time, I swear."
"Lord, what the Chief would have to say about this," Andie muttered.
"So don't tell him."
"Easier said than done," the detective grumbled. She looked up and met her friends determined gaze, before sighing. "Fine, but only this one time, and you stay well away from them, you hear me? You are not going to get further involved!"
"Course not," Riley agreed cheerfully before abruptly reaching over to hug her friend. "Yay! Party time!"
"This isn't a party, Riley!" Andie snapped. Her roommate sobered immediately.
"I know that."
"You better," Andie said, pointing a finger at her. "Be ready by nine, tonight."
"Nine? That's early."
"The earlier we get there, the less people around and the more contact I have with the Halliwell's," Andie said. "Now scram. I have more research to do."
Riley grinned and headed for the door, stopping just before walking through. "Thanks for letting me do this, Andie."
"Yeah, whatever," Andie muttered, making Riley grin again. She knew her friend showed the world a hard exterior, but she was a marshmallow inside. A squishy, soft, gooey marshmallow.
It was one of the things she loved about her.
:::
And, cut.
rlassie and I would just like to thank all those who have reviewed, favourited and followed our story.
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